Monday, October 18, 2010

Playa Map - Burn2 Artists ***way updated 10/20***

After a really fun day hanging at my build [see below], I walked around charting some of the builds I've been privileged to see going up, checking what had been added during my own intensive buildweek and also seeing some I hadn't gotten to or noticed.

I made this map for my own convenience and thought I'd offer it here for any who'd want it. Freely downloadable, creative commons license, etc. Click the small inpage photo for a large size map. Disclaimer: this is not an official Burn2 map! [added by the virtual law firm Dewey, Cheetum & Howe]

I know there will be a ton of blogging about certain builds (AM Radio, Ub Yifu, Bryn Oh, Betty Tureaud, Maya Paris, Soror Nishi, Wizard Gynoid, Stilt Bitches, Maryva Mayo, Madcow Cosmos/Lorin Tone) so rather than be redundant, I thought I'd mention a few out-of-the-way places that interested/involved me. There are also other builds tucked away between things here; this map is mostly an orienteering guide.

West of the Crystal Temple you'll come upon Nawlin Streeter's Metropolis, a beautiful build based on frames from the film Metropolis. Love the intricate textures!

East of the Crystal Temple, looking for Lorin's build (way off track of course), I somehow wandered into Lorin himself lending a sound-hand to Vian Magic's Catal-Hayuk, a recreation of what is most probably the first "city" on Earth. It's a historic build and a cool place to slow down and ponder the ages and changes of people in society. PS - Vian has included goats, like Soror did... goat consciousness rising?

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Drop one row down (pretend you are playing Space Invaders or Galaga):

At the western edge of the ocean you'll see (and hear) Sledge Roffo and Jewel MacMoragh's wondrous Here Comes The Sun, where you can influence the color schema and sounds emanating from the build. My personal favorite (being sound-biased); I stood listening to it for at least an hour.

East of that is The Phoenix Temple by Toady Nakamura, Cacia Escape, Flea Bussy and Ryan Snook, with awesome Burn artwork by Skycat Ranger; a highly-interactive build that bursts spectacularly into flame each Linden Night and is rebuilt in the morning (see notes in the build for times).

Next you'll find Liz Gealach's Concrete Soldiers, a thought-provoking build with some beautiful poetry. There are timed events in here so give it at least 2 minutes inside to see it all happen.

Behind Liz is The Dove Rhodes' Garden of Burning Love, which features some really neat architecture and some beautiful and romantic water-lily dance pools.

Cross the center line and head west and you'll see Huntress Catteneo's Behemoth - a way-cool self-contained (have a look at the enclosed roof garden on top) ecological vehicle that George Lucas might have studied for some tips. There is also a great tie-in book available there with an intriguing storyline in a collection of "letters" so look for that for a wider perspective on the build.

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Down a row, you'll find Loki Eliot's Professor Lidden's Lab, an interesting build. You will need Viewer 2.0 to make the most of it although it is still some fine building and beautiful texturing without it.

Next to it is Inner Child Camp by Marianne McCann, Pygar Bu, Robin Howe and a host of other kids. The world's most incredible cardboard fort-city! But don't go in if you're a Big 'cause you won't fit in the passageways and will get stuck and have to get a kid to pull you out and you'll be all embarrassed 'n stuff.

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Dropping one row again, at the western edge you'll find Mikati Slade and Emily Lang's whimsical Pop Atomic, a craftily-done nod to our 8-bit ancestors and perhaps a wink at the gamesmanship of war.

... and at the eastern edge is Kev Sweetwater's Hey I Didn't Know What To Call It build. Reminiscent of an asian pagoda or temple and scattered with comfy chairs and seating to hang out and have a relax, it also is perfectly positioned for a group viewing of the Man and soror's goat-bean recycling melon-tree.

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Down a row and you'll come upon The Written Word - a camp made of poetry and text done by a ton of writers, a very cool and unusual sort of build.

Head moar east, young Burner, and enter Nish Mip's City of Robots. It's a fun, hyper and mesmerizing build and Nish has events happening often (as well as more free stuff than you can carry home on the back of three donkeys). So get yer Bender on.

Even moar easter, you will hear the dulcet tones of Raven Haalan's Belltower of Privilege, a stunningly-beautiful staircase of light and sound based on a transcendental vision in the desert. Raven is generous enough to give you a (much more room-friendly) copy of his build for your own.

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Down another row:House of Cards (see previous post)

Ants at a picnic? That's what The Aeonia Artist Group's Ant Vegas is about; ants watching tv, ants hanging out playing saxaphones, ants chairdancing, ants worshipping the Great Ant... a sly commentary on society. I do so love that mammymammymammy song! (btw, the Ants have several sites so keep on the lookout for the other installations/infestations)

Right here also is Dale Innes' Ten Thousand Things Camp, which features a peep show (not that kind!) on an installation of Dale's incredible and mesmerizing Thingmaker.

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Down south of the House of Cards in the corner pocket is a fun little build, Eisie Etchegaray, sohma Dix and Jupiter Vale's West Nest of Baba Yaga featuring a giant bird which you can climb into and sit for an entrancing and restful moment.

Catty-corner from there is Ultraviolet Alter's O Temporalis, a gorgeous build of translucency and color (esp. at midnight) and worth climbing to the top, as it offers an excellent viewing platform for this side of the Playa.

Right next door is Xaan Allen's City of Fire, another interesting build which has a fabulous color/light/shadow thing going on. If you're lucky you'll meet Xaan there in his incredible Fire Wood Dryad avatar.

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Our build - House of Cards (see previous post) - was heavily-visited despite the incredible opening-day lag; we had over 200 visitors in 24 hours (yip!) and a great time talking to oldschoolers who reminisced about Q-modem, BBSes, their first virtual worlds and what it all means to us as netizens.

So get on out to the Burn, ongoing through Oct. 24th. Haz moar fun!

... and oh yeah, someone thought I should mention that a lot of the standing sculptures in the tent at Center Camp are mine ^_^

haha Moeuhane, that quote is from 'The Once and Future King' by TH White. Merlin takes the young Arthur to an ant colony to point out the failings of a societal model based on unthinking consensus. The ants constantly listen to the same songs on the radio over and over, and make the same comments, over and over... the 'mammy' comment is one of those. Everything goes in circles and they make no real progress.